2008 Annual General Meeting

CPAWS’ 2008 Annual General Meeting will be held November 30, 2008 in Room 156 at the National Library and Archives Ottawa, Ontario.

Members will vote on these bylaw changes:
Proposed bylaw changes (PDF)

Members will vote on the following nominees:

Biographies are below, or can be mailed to members on request.
 

Nominating a board member

CPAWS members are invited to submit further nominations to the CPAWS office no later than September 26, 2008 to the CPAWS national office. Nominations must include:

Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society
506-250 City Centre Avenue
Ottawa, ON K1R 6K7
1-800-333-9453
nominations@cpaws.org

Board nominee biographies

Sherri Watson

Sherri is a committed environmentalist who has worked in the environment field for over 25 years, primarily in Environment Canada, as a senior manager on pollution control and prevention in industry sectors.  Now retired, she directs her energies to conservation of wilderness and wildlife protection, goals that are well matched in CPAWS’ vision to protect at least 50%.of Canada’s remaining public wilderness.

She has been a part of CPAWS since 1999 on joining the Ottawa Valley Chapter Board, where she served 2 years as Chapter Chair and 5 years as National trustee chapter representative.  In 2006, Sherri was elected as a National trustee at large and became President of CPAWS National Board of Trustees.  She is standing for re-election to provide continuity in the implementation of recent governance decisions by the Board that promote a unified pan-Canadian CPAWS with strong chapters for delivery of our programs, and a renewed focus of the Board on conservation

Sherri has degrees in nursing from the University of Western Ontario and in earth and environmental science from York University, a diploma on management development from the Harvard Graduate School for Business, and a certificate as lead environmental auditor.  She is an avid hiker and since her association with CPAWS, this city girl has taken up kayaking and camping and looks forward to more wilderness adventures.

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Evan Sorestad

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Tracey Williams  (NWT)

Tracey’s varied background and career have provided her with skills in conservation and resource management, strategic planning, fund-raising, election campaigning, facilitating leadership and local governance meetings, working with diverse partners (including ENGOs, Aboriginal groups, governments and industry) and facilitating many disparate groups to reach consensus. Much of her recent work has been in the context of northern mineral exploration and mining.  All of this expertise will be beneficial to the National Board.

Tracey has extensive experience working with various ENGOs and Aboriginal communities on conservation, land use planning, and protected areas planning initiatives. Her experience in the areas of conservation and resource management includes:

Tracey is also an avid whitewater canoeist, has organized numerous canoe expeditions in the NWT and Nunavut, has hiking experience throughout the world, and has extensive on-the-land bush skills.  Tracey is a member of the CPAWS-NWT board and lives with her husband and young son in Lutsel K’e, Northwest Territories.

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Raymond J. Plourde

Ray’s career in the ENGO and the private sector has primarily been in the areas of wilderness conservation advocacy, government and stakeholder relations, media and marketing. In particular, he has been active, both professionally and as a volunteer in ENGO work in the area of wilderness conservation in Nova Scotia.

As the Wilderness Coordinator for the Ecology Action Centre for the last six years and a Director of the Nova Scotia Salmon Association for over a dozen, he has had the opportunity to play a leading role in a number of successful conservation campaigns in Nova Scotia. As the leader of the Nova Scotia Public Lands Coalition (www.publicland.ca) he developed significant experience in grassroots conservation campaign planning and execution.  He acted, in turn, as strategist, organizer, advocate, spokesman, fundraiser and lobbyist regarding wilderness conservation and inland fisheries issues. Highlights include the public campaign to see the area known as Jim Campbells Barren returned to the province’s Protect Areas list and the subsequent effort to get the Wilderness Areas Protection Act passed through the legislative process in the late 90s. More recently, he led the effort to secure several new protected Wilderness Areas and Nature Reserves, new laws and policies to protect more land (12% commitment) and the passing of stringent new legislation governing the use of ATVs in Nova Scotia. All of these initiatives involved ongoing strategic planning, issues management and communications activities. Each of these received significant local, provincial and occasionally national media coverage.  Each required the nurturing of key government, industry and media contacts and the building of broad-based public support.  All were successful. 

In his professional career prior to joining the Ecology Action Centre, Ray worked in the communications field, including creative concept development, production management in various media, and broadcasting. 

He is very familiar with CPAWS, having worked over the last six years with local CPAWS staff, board members and volunteers on a number of successful campaigns. His organization and CPAWS are currently planning a Big Wild trip together into their latest wilderness area target – Ship Harbour Long Lake.   

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Julie Davidson

Julie has a strong passion for the outdoors and wild places, coupled with experience in environmental project funding and board leadership which led her to become a volunteer on the CPAWS-BC board. She has twenty years' experience in the human resources field, most recently board-related in the not-for-profit business sector. Julie worked with Mountain Equipment Coop’s board through ten years of rapid growth.  As a recent graduate from Simon Fraser University, she is embarking on a new path in social policy issues.

Julie is experienced in strategic planning and board leadership, and she will bring good communication and dialogue skills to the board.  She has a good understanding of CPAWS governance issues, and will be a judicious advocate for a strong CPAWS. She is committed to working towards a unified organization and an integrated national conservation plan, which will be achieved through a strong community-based structure and dynamic board leadership.

Now with adult children, Julie and her husband are exploring a new chapter in their lives; they have recently moved to BC’s Sunshine Coast, where they look forward to pursuing their artistic and outdoor passions.

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